Do you need to wear a glove to drink “plum wine on ice”? The final countdown to the Towada Lake Winter Story in Japan

▲The “Towada Lake Winter Story” enters its final week, ending on February 24. Come and experience this year’s winter festival while you still can!

Reported and photographed by Reporter You T-Ru / Aomori, Japan

Every winter, various winter festivals kick off across Japan. Among the most famous winter celebrations in Northeastern Japan is the “Towada Lake Winter Story.” At the lakeside venue, there are snow sculptures including a snow chapel, a snow bar, and a snow gate, all illuminated in vibrant colors, creating a magical scene. Additionally, spectacular fireworks light up the night sky daily, and visitors can enjoy a glass of “plum wine on ice”—which you actually drink wearing a special glove.

Don’t misunderstand—drinking plum wine isn’t unusual, but drinking it from an “ice” cup might be. At the Towada Lake Winter Story venue, there’s a bar that serves plum wine in ice glasses, and you have to wear special gloves to drink it, so your hand’s moisture doesn’t melt the ice. If you’d rather not bother with the gloves, there’s also a local Aomori specialty: the “cider apple glass,” where the core of an apple is hollowed out and the drink is served inside the apple-shaped container, offering a faint apple aroma as you sip—a delightful experience.


                                    ▲Plum wine on ice that you can only enjoy wearing gloves.



▲The cups are all made of ice, making them transparent and beautiful—and of course, the drink tastes even sweeter.


▲The bar counter is also made entirely of ice.


▲Lanterns decorate the interior of the snow house.

The Towada Lake Winter Story, which began in 1998, is now in its 15th year. It was launched to promote winter tourism in Aomori and is held every February by the shores of Towada Lake. After enjoying dinner at their ryokan, evening visitors flock to the festival grounds. Upon passing through the entrance gate, a series of snow stages, snow cellars, and snow chapels unfold before their eyes. At 8 p.m., fireworks burst forth from behind the snow stage, reflecting off the pure white venue, creating a stunningly beautiful sight.


▲The perimeter walls of the Towada Lake Winter Story venue are also made of ice, with holes cut out for lighting.


▲As you walk through the entrance gate, you immediately pass through a blue-lit tunnel.


▲The snow stage, themed around the Nebuta (a traditional Japanese festival float), features performances this year by comedians.


▲The Nebuta-themed stage changes color along with the lighting.


▲Snow huts within the venue feature simple ice sculpture displays.


▲The exterior of the drinking area, with an entrance carved into a snow hut.


▲%Jia Xiang Su Qun Nei You Zhan Shi Yi Xie Bing Diao Zhan Pin, Can Ke Ke Yi Dai Shou Tao He Chang Guo Plum Wine / The venue displays some ice sculptures, and guests can wear gloves to try the plum wine.




▲The snow chapel.


▲A snow food street serving traditional Tohoku cuisine.


▲Pink lighting, like cherry blossoms on snowy ground in winter, is absolutely dazzling.


▲Fireworks are launched at 8 p.m. each evening, looking especially brilliant against the snowy backdrop.